No discernible plot, three aging men chewing the fat and gently ribbing each other in a shabby dressing room - at first sight, The Last Laugh does not seem top contender to provide an evening of great entertainment. But when the three men in question are three of the greatest comedians in living memory, the absence of a strong storyline and the unpromising surroundings fade into insignificance. What shines is the joy that comes from making people laugh.

Following rave reviews in the West End, Paul Hendy’s The Last Laugh is on tour nationwide. The premise is simple: an imagined meeting between Tommy Cooper (Damian Williams), Eric Morecambe (Bob Golding) and Bob Monkhouse (Simon Cartwright), names that will doubtless evoke memories of Christmas specials and cheesy game shows for any member of the audience who has reached at least their half-century.

The men’s conversation is the perfect vehicle for a host of classic gags delivered with the skill and pace that would put many a modern stand-up to shame. It takes us back to a less complicated time, a time before comedy had to have a ‘message’. Morecambe’s observation that when you tell ’em a joke they’ve heard before, you get silence, is therefore somewhat ironic. This show is full of jokes we’ve heard before, and yet the reaction was the opposite of silence!

Proving that the old ones really are the best ones, this play is full of timeless japes. Morecambe’s paper-bag trick and spectacle wiggling can surely never fail to bring the house down. Cooper’s quick wit and perfect timing prove just why he became a comedy legend. Who would have thought that wearing a pair of huge chicken’s feet or walking round a gate could cause such hilarity? Of the three, Monkhouse seems to have to work hardest to hone his craft. His determination to succeed includes meticulously compiling a book of jokes, and his approach to comedy seems somewhat scientific, but the results of his efforts are no less rib-tickling than those of his more naturally funny-boned companions.

It may be, though, that the true comic genius of this play is Hendy’s inspired idea to bring together three comedy legends in the most humble of surroundings. The simplicity of the show’s premise, and of its set, means that the comedy is the star.

The Last Laugh is a charming, heart-warming piece of theatre that does just what it says on the tin. Williams, Golding and Cartwright cease to impersonate and somehow seem to embody their heroes, to the point where it’s not difficult to imagine that Cooper, Morecambe and Monkhouse have come back to life. The scene is perfectly set, the jokes come thick and fast, and anybody looking for an evening of laugh-out-loud, uplifting entertainment is certainly in for a treat.

Five stars

The Last Laugh was reviewed by Rachel Smith on Wednesday 22 July at Birmingham theatre The Alexandra, where it shows until Saturday 26 July.